Job info	Job info details
Job title	Referral Co-ordinator
Strategic team/Directorate	Children’s Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs / Family Help
Business unit	Family Help / Service Providers
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Service Manager / Team Manager, MASH
Accountable to (line manager)	Service Manager, Specialist Services
Salary grade	E
JE ref	SS105

1. Key purpose of job

• Being part of a Referral Coordinator Team working across Family Help and Specialist Services, providing a service for Children & Families in Need across Torbay providing a high-quality customer focused service. 
• Providing a consistent and centralised point for initial enquiries to the Children in Need Service and taking referrals about these children.
• Providing information to the public about services that are available to Children and Families in Torbay, including information about Early Intervention Services and the cluster groups. 

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Ensure all referrals are logged on the Electronic Social Care System – (Liquid Logic) at the point of referral.
• To prioritise contacts and referrals based on need and notifying the Service Manager – Children in Need of safeguarding within set time scales.
• To communicate effectively with the Public, other Professionals, the Duty Social Worker(s) and Service Managers.
• Providing a focal point for the collection and dissemination of resources information.
• To review case records and provide relevant information to other Children Service Departments, other Agencies with Safeguarding responsibilities and/or family members as agreed with the Service Manager. 

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times. 
• Providing information and advice directing people to universal agencies. Voluntary organisations both local and national, or sources of help when their needs would be better met elsewhere as appropriate. This to be undertaken in accordance with the Guidance Criteria and the CAF System. 
• Taking referral information in a consistent manner by completing an electronic contact referral record for all people requesting assistance or advice regarding social care. 
• Interviewing clients in the office and taking referrals from other agencies, professionals and members of the public. This will include initial information gathering and/or the provision of a S17 assistance to Children in Need with apparent authorisation from a Line Manager.
• Supporting referrers in making a referral and providing a consistent approach to communicating with all referrers to ensure all relevant details are obtained at the initial point of contact. The Referral Co-ordinator will record a priority/response level of A B or C. 
• Identifying urgent referrals that need a response the same day and to alert and liaise with the Service manager and/or Duty Social Workers due to safeguarding concerns or risk of accommodation.
• Making information on services more readily available to customers and making use of information from customer surveys and professional colleagues.
• Responsibility for making basic enquiries with the professionals and families in accordance with Data Protection principles and Information Sharing Protocols and determined by the Human Rights Act, as requested by the Service Manager.
• Collating statistical data on computer system, in order to access information useful to the department regarding enquiries, referral numbers and subsequent outcomes, and through the utilisation of Management Information System.
• Providing good quality information to the public at the point of referral.
• Ensuring that administrative forms are kept up to date and available to the Duty Team.
• Being responsible for accessing case files and providing accurate and factual information to other professionals. 

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions.

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External - Health, Education, Police, Social Care and Voluntary Agency Staff, general public, other agencies, e.g., Housing DSS, Private Sector, Social Care Agencies.
• Internal - Referral Co-ordinators (across Torbay Council), Social Workers (Intake and Family Intervention Team), Service Managers, Operations Manager, Receptionists, Community Care Workers, Torbay Fostering Service, Youth Offending Service, Children’s Disability Service, Early Intervention (particularly CAF Administrator, CAF Mentors, Cluster Teams). 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at the Town Hall Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Referral Co-ordinator
Strategic team/Directorate	Children’s Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs / Family Help
Business unit	Family Help / Service Providers

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• An understanding of Child Development, Family Support and Child Protection. 
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to liaise with other agencies and professionals. 
• Effective telephone manner and good recording skills. 
• Keyboard/IT Skills. 
• Effective recording skills. 
• Ability to work as part of a team. 
• Reliability, commitment and flexibility. 
• Ability to work within corporate policy and an awareness of equal opportunities. 
• Ability to prioritise work daily. 
• Self-awareness of own strengths and limitations. 

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• ECDL computer literacy qualification. 

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Understanding of Every Child Matters and Change for Children Agenda. 
• Knowledge of the legislation affecting the provision of safeguarding services to children and families as identified within the Children Act 1989 and 2004 and the NHS and Community Care Act 1990.
• Understanding of the framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families.
• An understanding of basic human needs, cultural, physical, emotional and social. 

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of Children and Families Services including local community resources. 
• Information Sharing Protocols and Procedures (Information Governance), Check Confidentiality and Codes of Conduct, Data Protection Act, Human Rights Act. 

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience of working with Children and Families in a statutory or voluntary setting.
• Experience of interviewing members of the public on the telephone or face to face and in potentially distressing and upsetting circumstances. 

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of dealing with the public, either through Health, Education, Social Services, Voluntary Agency work. 
• Child Protection Emotional Abuse and Neglect. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to GCSE O Level standard or equivalent or above. 
• Evidence of consistent pattern of learning from education, training and expertise. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Child Protection Foundation Course. 
• Customer Care/Reception Training. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.